Jack
by Sirenn
Summary: Selfishness. Deceit. Betrayal. Friendship. Jealousy. Manipulation. Trust. And above all things, love. A newsie adaptation of Othello.
1. Prologue

**Jack**

Summary: _When true love is faced with the darkest emotions and cruelest intentions, can love conquer all?_

_(Newsies 1899 adaptation of Othello)_

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the newsies or any characters from the movie I do own any characters you don't recognize from the movie. The plot belongs to William Shakespeare ( at least most of it ) I might change some things later on. Maybe not. We'll see.

The beds in every guest room of the house were stripped bare including her own. The sheets lay sprawled over the floor underneath her window. The knots folded over one another in a pattern of circles against the dark color of her carpet. It would never take that many sheets to climb out of a second story window, but she wasn't exactly experienced in this. They wrapped around each other inviting her to lay down and bask in their softness. They gleamed so white in the darkness she was sure they were glowing brightly enough to wake up the others. Her heart beat louder in her chest staring at them, it was impossible for anyone to sleep through that deafening sound. She stared holes through the sheets straining her ears to listen for any sign of movement within the house. It was silent. She knew she had to calm down, at least enough to think rationally or she'd never be able to go through with it.

Slowly she began to move. First it was forced but with each passing moment that she remained uncaught her confidence grew. She tied the knot around the bedpost closest to her window just as he'd taught her to. A skill he'd no doubt acquired from his lassoing ability. Luckily her bed had been positioned next to the window, as if this was premeditated by fate. Everything that helped her carry through with her plan made it seem as though it was destined to be, and anything that stood in her way was an insignificant fluke. The heat of the moment erases fear, doubt and sensibility leaving only passion, and blind faith in its wake.

She released the coil of sheets from her shaking fingers. It dropped gently toward the ground, unafraid of its tumble to the bottom. Gracefully it fell over the back of the house acting like Rapunzel's braid, a pearly beacon of hope against the dark night sky.

Her head followed out the window peering directly into the dark abyss below. The sheets illuminated the way down revealing the only destination she had to run to. It was hard to see at first, until his movement gave him away. His arms outstretched toward her, beckoning her down to him with his simple hand gesture. She smiled unintentionally, and could not find a way to make herself stop.

She turned back to the room that had been her home for the past seventeen years. She picked up her make-shift bag, one of the only sheets not to be used as her escape route. Within it were placed the few pieces of clothing it could hold, creating a bag when she tied the ends over each other. She returned to the window and waved it in the air, allowing enough time for her accomplice to position himself underneath. It fell perfectly into his arms the way she wished she could. Her only comfort was in knowing that these last few moments were the last they would spend apart.

She turned again to her home and didn't recognize it as a place of solace and sanctuary. Instead it was a place of isolation, peaceful at best but lonely at worst. She did not belong in this room, in this house. She couldn't help but wonder how she'd ever convinced herself that it was home. The definition of her home, along with her heart, belonged to the boy awaiting her at the bottom of the window.

With two quick tugs on her fashioned rope to ascertain it was tied tight enough, she lowered herself out the window. Her body followed her feet as they slowly and quietly eased their way down along the brick. Her hands were gripped to the sheets so tightly they became the same ghostly color. Every few steps she paused, unable to stop herself from looking down. It took five deep breaths to inch her way down the wall. Finally when she was within reach, and he became impatient enough, he reached up and scooped her off the wall.

In one fluid motion he planted her gently on the ground. His hands immediately found her face, as he cupped her delicate features in his calloused hands. He couldn't help thinking how soft her skin was.

"You alright?" he asked the question in his bronze eyes posing the true question 'Are you sure?'

She smiled up at him her heart beating too quickly inside her chest to form any response. She was free and she felt as though she could fly. He smiled back and kissed her lightly. Both becoming full of excitement with the thought that they're long talked about fantasy had just become a reality. Removing his hands from her face, he grabbed the sheet of clothes in one hand, and took hold of hers with the other.

They did fly that night, through the merciless and icy streets. They flew past everything ugly the street had to offer. Ran right past the dark alleyways concealing strangers' unfortunate fates, past the broken bottles that lay as the remains of a fateful brawl, past the blood-stained streets and its starved residents. They were too busy basking in their own beauty and joy, things that are not meant to blossom on the unsparing streets. They interrupted the dark nature of the Manhattan streets with their faith in love. They were blind to anything and everything that could hurt them. They never saw it coming.


	2. Iago

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the newsies or any characters from the newsies; I do own any characters you don't recognize from the movie

**Chapter 2**

"Why do I have to be the one to do it?" asked Mush. I couldn't stand this repetitive whining, if it wasn't in my best interest to restrain myself, I would have poured his blood onto the sidewalk. His big brown eyes were staring at me like I was his savior. He was so naïve it made me want to punch him in his innocent looking face. It was so easy to convince him to do anything I wanted. That moron trusted me as if his happiness meant something to me. It's impossible to respect someone so stupid, and if he asked me this question, again I was going to murder him, and leave his body for the pigeons to find.

"Well I can't just walk in there he doesn't know me!" I had only explained the plan to him a thousand times, how was it possible he still didn't understand. I knew I shouldn't have yelled at him from the look of fear on his face. It wouldn't do any good if he was too afraid to go through with it.

"I don't want to, Spot" Just what I needed now. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down, at least on the surface. Like it or not I needed this pathetic newsie, if he walked away I was screwed.

"Mush, do you want Diana or not?" I asked him, adding as much compassion to my voice as possible. I was impressed with my own ability to bullshit. Not that manipulating Mush was an accomplishment; even his name suggested he was a chump.

"More than anything" That was a stupid thing to say. What kind of a person would rather have some girl than things that mattered like food, and money? I would never tolerate this kind of ridiculousness from my newsies. Jack was getting soft though, he was too distracted with Diana to notice anything else.

"Do you love her?" I asked, trying to hide the annoyance in my voice. He didn't catch on though; it really didn't take much effort to convince Mush of anything. I couldn't help smirking, he believed everything I said. I guess it never seemed suspicious that I got so involved with his love life. He didn't want to know why I chose to help him instead of remain loyal to Jack. I mean if I could screw over Jack to help Mush then what would make Mush think I wouldn't do it to him. The problem was Mush didn't think, at all. I shouldn't say that, it really isn't a problem for me since it makes my life easier.

"You know I do" Well that was true, anyone with half a brain could see that he was obsessed with Jack's girlfriend. For some reason though, Mush had decided to confide this information to me of all people. Naturally, I used this to my advantage, this ability is essential to survival.

"Then what's the problem?" I said smoothly, all traces of annoyance were gone from my voice. I put an arm around his shoulders making him think I was encouraging him for his own good. "All you have to do is wake up Mr. Steele and tell him the truth; that his daughter has run away with a newsie." I patted his shoulder to assure him he could do it. I honestly thought that was enough to convince him, along with the hours of conversation we'd had on the same subject. I have to remember not to over-estimate his intelligence.

"But why do _I_ have to do it?" I couldn't decide if this was more or less annoying than when my 5-year-old newsie followed me around asking me the question "why" in response to everything I said. I also couldn't figure out which of them had the superior brain.

"Because you deliver papers to him, Mush" I said, continuing to keep my voice soft. It was advantageous to be able to control my emotions. It allows me to control how other people feel. "He trusts you, relies on you to bring him his paper. He let's you into his house, even though you're a newsie. If you tell him, he'll think you're helping him, looking out for him. He'll believe you right away because he trusts you. If I go up there, he wouldn't even listen to me, Mush. He'd just think I was some worthless street rat waking him from his precious sleep." I said this very slowly as if talking to a small child, rather than an adult with the mental capacity of one. I think that self-deprecating shit worked because he started smiling like a moron, and nodded as a promise to me. I didn't understand what the problem was. The plan was very simple. Mush wakes up Mr. Steele, and tells daddy his daughter ran away with a newsie. Daddy drags Diana back by the ends of her pretty blonde hair, and Jack's happiness is ruined.

Other people could never understand, they believe in bullshit like "things will work out for themselves". Wrong. Nothing gets done unless you make do it yourself. Being a man is about knowing what needs to be done, and doing whatever is necessary to make sure it happens. You can't just sit passively and hope that everything will fall into place. The universe doesn't give a fuck about you, that's the problem. Karma and luck, all that stuff might work if you've got enough money to bribe it your way. I don't, so unfortunately it takes a little more effort for me to restore order to my world. If this moron would just hurry up and play his part, everything would be fine. The longer it took him to walk up to that door, the more I wanted to split his lip open.


	3. Roderigo

**Jack**

Disclaimer: I do not own the newsies or any characters you recognize from the movie, I do own characters you don't recognize from the movie.

_**Skitts Girl**_**: **Thank you so much for the reviews and the feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story.

If you read please review.

_Chapter 3: Roderigo_

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before I was able to take the first step toward the door. I was terrified. I never did things like this, things that were bold and daring. I couldn't even imagine waking this man in the middle of the night to rat out my friend and leader. No price is too high for true love, and I was sure that no matter how frightening this experience would be, it would be worth it in the end. My heart beat so quickly inside my chest, I was afraid it would break through the skin for the world to see. I needed it to calm down so that the pain of being so nervous would subside. I turned to look at Spot; he smiled, encouraging me to continue. Spot was a good friend to be so concerned about my happiness. He was going out of his way to help me win the girl I love. There aren't many people in the world that I can depend on, it's not easy to know who to trust. I mean, look at what I'm doing to Jack. Spot was someone I could trust though, no matter what. True friendship is hard to find on the streets, I was lucky to have met Spot.

The guilt started to overcome me, how could I do this to Jack? He regarded me as a friend the same way that I valued Spot. Besides, since the strike he'd been the official leader of Manhattan. When he found out he'd throw me right out of the lodging house if I was lucky, more likely he'd kill me on the spot. With this fear surrounding my heart, the knocker looked too heavy to lift. I needed to stop my brain from thinking about that, the only thing I needed to think about was Diana. God, she was beautiful, everything about her was intoxicating. The way that her skirts rustled, and her blonde hair bounced about her when she glided from room to room made me crazy. When she laughed a sound as sweet as sugar escaped her perfect red lips. I could hardly wait until I could stroke her porcelain skin, look into her brown eyes and call her mine. She was so small and delicate she needed protection, and I would protect her body and her heart with my life, if only she would realize it.

Her features gave me the strength to lift the knocker. The sound echoed within the walls of the house sounding hollow. The house was empty if she wasn't there to give it life. A shock of electricity ran through my gut, as the sound began to fade. It was too late to abandon my plan now, and the part I was dreading was to follow. The nervousness planed off, and became a steadier, less violent current when there was no immediate response. What if it didn't work? I released my doubt and insecurity in one long sigh when the door finally opened.

I expected the door to be thrown open by Mr. Steele himself. Instead, a young girl shyly peeled back the door, holding a lit candle in her other hand. She couldn't have been more than sixteen, and she quickly removed her hand from the door and gripped it tightly to the loose fabric of her robe. Her modesty was evident when her fingers turned white from their attempt to hide her nightgown beneath the oversized makeshift coat. Her faded red hair was loose and thin beneath a spotless white bonnet. I knew she was trying to seem polite, but looked more frightened than I felt.

"What, may I ask, is your business with here?" She asked through her thick Irish brogue. She lifted the candle a bit, trying to find recognition in my features. I could see the many freckles across her nose and cheekbones. She wasn't terribly bad looking, even in the middle of the night, only moments out of a deep sleep. I pitied her; a woman's vanity must suffer greatly at being forced to wait on someone with Diana's beauty and grace.

"I need to speak with Mr. Steele" I responded trying my best to sound like a gentleman. It was a ridiculous attempt of course, only someone of my social class would have crude enough manners to call on someone so late into the evening. She raised her eyebrows at me mockingly, I think she was waiting for an explanation that I wasn't about to give to a maid, even if she was closer to my own class.

"Mr. Steele does not usually take visitors at this time of night, sir" She finally responded when she realized I had nothing more to say. She was rude, using the word sir to remind of my place in life, as if hers was much better. Each of us regarded the other with an air of superiority, despite the fact that we were both working class. She looked down on me because she was ashamed of her own position in life; I had seen that motive before.

"It's an emergency" I replied, my eyebrows falling into submission. I took the dirt-encrusted grey cap off my head and fingered it nervously. I wanted this girl to understand that I was at her mercy, and therefore she was correct in assuming she had the power. This change in attitude forced her to lighten her resistance toward me. She looked me over as though she would be able to asses the level of danger in associating with me.

"One moment, please" She stepped aside, ushering me into the hallway where I was directed to wait for Mr. Steele. She disappeared into the darkened rooms, and I wondered which one was Diana's. I heard the slurred, grumpy speech characteristic of a man who has been woken from a deep sleep.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Steele demanded, his face was red with agitation and concern. When he recognized me, he adjusted his pants above his large belly before the booming voice took control again. "Patrick? What is so important it could not wait until morning?"

"It's your daughter, sir" I could feel my voice shaking a bit from fear. His loud voice and looming persona made me nearly regret my decision. If it had been at all possible I think I would have turned back now, ran back to the lodging house, and engaged myself in a game of cards with Race instead of this treason.

"What about her?" He replied, his voice had lost none of it's intimidating quality. He drew himself up to his full height, as if he needed to frighten me more. The large stomach and mustache which on men his age usually helped to create an approachable look were wasted on him. His black eyes made the rage and darkness within him obvious. His demeanor inspired fear; I was not surprised Diana wished to get away from this man.

"She's gone" I was finally able to coax the words out of my paralyzed lips. I felt a sudden rush of relief, it was done now. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore, whatever happened now were the consequences of something I couldn't take back. Mr. Steele didn't understand, and from his inarticulate grunts I found the courage to continue.

"She's gone. She's run away with a newsie and they're going to be married, sir" I was surprised at my own gall in interrupting a man of his stature, even if he wasn't speaking anything coherent. He put his fingers to his mustache and stroked it with his index finger and thumb. I hadn't expected him to react so calmly.

"I don't believe you" he declared quietly, stroking his mustache once more as if this action made the decision a reality. I knew he meant 'I don't want to believe you' but my bones were aching to have this night be a distant memory that I could barely recollect.

"See for yourself" I assured him gently, my grey cap still twisting and bending beneath my fingers. He turned immediately, leading the way to the room my heart had been aching to see for months. The excitement mounted inside me, releasing all other emotion from my body.

Inside I found nothing of the solace I had imagined it would bring me, without her presence I was merely, alone in a room with an angry aristocrat. He pressed his hands flat against the window sill as his eyes followed the white sheets down and out into a horizon construed of incongruent buildings. I wasn't sorry I'd caused this pain, it was necessary. Love means having to fight for what you want, and I was not about to conceded my heart's greatest desire to Jack. Although the journey would be difficult, I couldn't allow anything to keep me from Diana. She was worth all the bending of my morals, and abuse of my friendships that it took. I had promised myself I would do anything for her, and I was a man of my word.


End file.
